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Ephesians 5:10 — Word Study

Depth

N1904δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

BSAdiscerningdokimazō [examine, prove by experience, demonstrate, find out] whattis [which thing, that which] iseimi well-pleasingeuarestos [is well-pleasing, acceptable] to theho Lord.kurios [God, Master]

Word
Listen & take awayEphesians 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 is in this chapter.
Greek ↓ Download MP3 Nestle 1904 — the very text on this page — read by Andy Martin in Erasmian pronunciation.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (kurios) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Ephesians 5:10quick helps
In a sentencePaul instructs believers to examine and discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Who is speakingThe Apostle Paul, addressing the Ephesians.
Where we areIn a passage about living as children of light, contrasting good and evil.
The hard wordδοκιμάζοντες
Take awayWe are called to actively discern and pursue what pleases God.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectδοκιμάζω verbδοκιμάζω The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the New Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the New Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — , the commonest word in the Greek New Testament, stands 19,867 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Ephesians 5:10

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Living as Children of Lightgenerated

9for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
10Test and prove what pleases the Lord.
11Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

Ephesians 5:10 encourages believers to actively test and discern what is pleasing to the Lord. This verse is part of a larger exhortation where Paul contrasts the fruit of light with the deeds of darkness, emphasizing the importance of living in a way that reflects God's goodness, righteousness, and truth. The surrounding verses highlight the call to reject unfruitful works and instead expose them, reinforcing the theme of moral clarity in the Christian life.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Samuel 17:39David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off.
2Romans 12:1–2Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
3Philippians 1:10so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
41 Thessalonians 5:21but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
5Psalm 19:14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Key Word δοκιμάζοντες, dokimazōgenerated

The word δοκιμάζω (dokimazō) is a present active participle meaning 'discerning' or 'testing.' It is derived from the root that conveys the idea of proving something genuine, often used in contexts of refining metals or assessing quality.

In this verse, it emphasizes the active role of believers in evaluating their actions and choices against God's standards. The participial form indicates an ongoing process, suggesting that discerning what pleases the Lord is a continual duty for Christians.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase Test and prove. Other translations, such as the KJV and ASV, use Proving what is acceptable, reflecting a similar meaning.

Translations differ particularly in how they render δοκιμάζοντες. The ASV and KJV use proving, while the BSB opts for test and prove. The word εὐάρεστον is rendered as well-pleasing in several translations, while others like the KJV use acceptable.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause of the verse is governed by the finite verb δοκιμάζοντες, which serves as a participle describing the subject's action. The subject is implied as the believers, who are to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

The structure includes a noun phrase that identifies the thing being tested, followed by a predicate that describes the nature of what pleases the Lord. This construction emphasizes the active engagement of believers in their moral and spiritual lives.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Greek word δοκιμάζοντες (dokimazō), meaning 'discerning', is used in Ephesians 5:10 and corresponds to the Hebrew word בָּחַן (H974), which means 'examine' or 'try'. This choice emphasizes the active process of evaluating and understanding what is pleasing to the Lord.

The word τί (tis), translated as 'what', aligns with the Hebrew word מָה (H4100), which is an interrogative used to inquire about things. This connection reinforces the call to seek clarity on what actions and attitudes are acceptable to God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ephesians 5:10 tells us to test and prove what pleases the Lord. This means we should actively examine our actions and choices to see if they align with God's will. Paul encourages believers to pursue goodness, righteousness, and truth, rejecting anything that does not reflect God's character.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to test what pleases the Lord?

It means to actively examine and discern our actions and decisions to ensure they align with God's will and character, seeking to live in a way that is acceptable to Him.

How can I know what is pleasing to God?

We can know what pleases God by studying Scripture, praying for wisdom, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as well as observing the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

Why is it important to discern what pleases the Lord?

Discerning what pleases the Lord helps us to live a life that reflects His goodness and righteousness, and it strengthens our relationship with Him as we seek to follow His ways.

What are some examples of things that please the Lord?

Examples include acts of kindness, love, justice, and living in truth, as well as worship and obedience to His commands, as shown throughout Scripture.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to discern better what pleases the Lord?
  2. How can I actively test my actions and decisions against God's standards?
  3. What practices can help me grow in my ability to discern God's will?
  4. How does understanding what pleases the Lord impact my relationships with others?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early church writers reflect on this verse to emphasize the importance of discerning what pleases God, highlighting the transformative power of holiness and grace in the believer's life.

AmbrosiasterEPISTLE TO THE Ephesians 5.10 fl. c. 366–384
From the abundance of his holiness and goodness it is possible to know what works delight God. … In his holiness we are purified. In his mercy we are brought to full and perfect righteousness.
Early Church Fathers on Ephesians 5 →
Theodoret of CyrusInterpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 5.10 c. 393–460
You share in the Word. You have received the grace of the Holy Spirit. Now you are made able to discern what is pleasing to God.
Early Church Fathers on Ephesians 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ephesians 5:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. There are many things that are acceptable to God, as the person of Christ, his righteousness, sacrifice, sufferings, death, and mediation; the persons of his

Read John Gill on Ephesians 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Proving - construed with "walk" (Ephesians 5:8; Romans 12:1-2).

Read Robert Jamieson on Ephesians 5 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Searching what the will of the Lord is, and approving it by your practice as the rule of your walking, .

Read Matthew Poole on Ephesians 5 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Ver. 10. Proving what is acceptable] By the practice of what you know. Let your knowledge and obedience run parallel, mutually transfusing life and vigour one into another.

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Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.—So in Romans 12:2, the “proving what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God,” is the fruit of transformation “in the renewing of the mind.” “To prove” is to try in each case, by the full light of God, what is accordant to His will; it is a work partly of thought, partly of practical experience; and it always implies a searching examination of heart and action by the touchstone of God’s word.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Ephesians 5 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 10. Proving what is acceptable] By walking in the light-under the influence of the Divine Spirit, according to the dictates of the Gospel, ye shall be able to try, and bring to full proof, that by which God is best pleased. Ye shall be able to please him well in all things.

Read AdamClarke on Ephesians 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. proving] Testing, by the touchstone of His declared and beloved Will; putting every action, and course of action unreservedly to that proof, and unreservedly approving, in action, all that passes it. Cp. Romans 1:28 (where lit. “they did not approve to retain God, &c.”), Romans 12:2 (a close parallel here); 1 Thessalonians 5:21.acceptable] Better, as R. V., well-pleasing. The word is kindred to the noun rendered “pleasing” Colossians 1:10. The whole question was to be, “What pleases God?”

Read Cambridge on Ephesians 5 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord - That is,” Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8, thus showing what is acceptable to the Lord.” Rosenmuller supposes that the participle is used here instead of the imperative.

Read Albert Barnes on Ephesians 5 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

NETBNew English Translation2006

trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord;

RVARevised Version, American1894

proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Proving what is acceptable to the Lord.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Approuing that which is pleasing to the Lord.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

proving what is agreeable to the Lord;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

proving what is well-pleasing to the LORD;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

and find out what is pleasing to the Lord.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Proving what is well pleasing to God:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

demonstrating what the Lord really appreciates.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Testing by experience what is well-pleasing to the Lord;

Word by word, the decisions they made

δοκιμάζοντεςdokimazō discerning G1381 3 different renderings
provingASV DBY DRA KJV LSV NWB RVA WEB YLT
proveBSB MSB
find outULB
εὐάρεστονeuarestos well-pleasing G2101 3 different renderings
well pleasingASV BBE DRA LSV RVA WEB YLT
pleasingGNV NETB ULB
acceptableKJV NWB
κυρίῳ.kurios Lord. G2962 2 different renderings
lordASV BBE BSB DBY FBV GNV KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
godDRA

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the Nestle 1904 treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseclauseὡςasclausenoun phrase · subjectτέκναchildrenφωτὸςof lightclauseverbπεριπατεῖτεwalkclauseγὰρforclausenoun phrase · subject—ὁ-noun phraseκαρπὸςthe fruitnoun phraseτοῦof theφωτὸςlight [is]prepositional phrase · predicateἐνinnoun phraseπάσῃallnoun phraseἀγαθωσύνῃgoodnessκαὶandδικαιοσύνῃrighteousnessκαὶandἀληθείᾳtruthclauseverb—δοκιμάζοντεςdiscerningclause · objectsubjectτίwhatlinking verbἐστινispredicateεὐάρεστονwell-pleasingnoun phrase · adverbialτῷto theΚυρίῳLord

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The earliest translations — Latin and Syriac

Every translation is an argument about meaning made by someone who had to commit to one. These two were made while the Greek was still a living language, and they are the oldest opinions we have about what this verse says.

Latin VulgateAD 382–405

probantes quid sit beneplacitum Deo :

Jerome revised the Old Latin against the Greek from AD 382; the Latin west read this text for a thousand years.

Syriac Peshittaby AD 400

ܘܗܘܝܬܘܢ ܦܪܫܝܢ ܡܢܐ ܫܦܝܪ ܩܕܡ ܡܪܢ

The Bible of the Syriac-speaking church, in the language nearest to the Aramaic Jesus spoke.

Shown verse by verse rather than word by word: aligning a Greek word to its Latin or Syriac counterpart automatically would be guesswork, and a wrong alignment is worse than none.


The Greek editions compared — what the manuscripts actually say

Eight printed editions of the Greek New Testament, side by side. Where they agree the wording is settled; where a word is missing from an edition it is marked, so you can see the difference rather than take it on trust.

Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

An independent critical text built from the oldest witnesses then known.

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ.

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

Every witness on this verse all agree
Critical editions
Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993SBL Greek New Testament2010Westcott–Hort1881Tregelles1857–1879Tyndale House Greek NT2017
Byzantine / Majority
Byzantine majority text2018
Received Text
Textus Receptus1550/1894

A witness that read differently would show its variant word here, marked.

Word by word, across the editions

Every edition agrees. All 8 printed editions — Nestle-Aland 28, Nestle-Aland 27, SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Tyndale House 2017, Textus Receptus (KJV), Byzantine majority — carry every word of this verse, in the same order, with no difference that any translator would render differently.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Greek New Testament — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Ephesians 5:10δοκιμάζωdiscerningdiscerningδοκιμάζωτίςwhatwhatτίςεἰμίisisεἰμίεὐάρεστοςwell-pleasiwell-pleasingεὐάρεστοςto theto theκύριοςLord.Lord.κύριοςδόκιμοςAdj approvAdj approved, aδόκιμοςεὖAdv well, Adv well, well εὖτὶςIndef.pr. Indef.pr. any oτὶςδιαφέρωv. I carryv. I carry throδιαφέρωπῦρn.n. fire,n.n. fire, triaπῦρἆραIrg.prt. aIrg.prt. a partἆραεἶπονv. I say, v. I say, speakεἶπονἄξιοςAdj worthyAdj worthy, worἄξιοςκύριοςn.m. lord,n.m. lord, Lordκύριοςθεόςn.f. & n.mn.f. & n.m. Godθεόςδουλεύωv. I am a v. I am a slaveδουλεύωναίDisj.prt. Disj.prt. yes, ναί
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Ephesians 5:10

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Greek lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. Imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, the full Liddell-Scott-Jones, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate LSJ, Robinson and Packard on the Greek, Webster and Cawdrey on the English the translators were using. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

discerning what is well-pleasing to the Lord.
δοκιμάζοντεςdokimazō discerning G1381 Verb · present · active · participle · nominative · plural · masculine
22× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Ephesians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To test or try something, like refining metal, to see if it's genuine. This is seen in 1 Peter 1:7 where faith is tested like gold. It's about proving something is true.
Amplified meaning
examine, prove by experience, demonstrate, find out
Tyndale gloss
to test
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

δοκιμάζω (dokimazo) means to test or prove, particularly in the context of metals, but also applies to people and various situations. It conveys the idea of examining something to determine its genuineness or worthiness, often leading to approval after a successful trial. In the New Testament, it appears in verses like 1 Peter 1:7 and Romans 12:2, where it emphasizes discerning and approving what is good.

Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament — δοκιμάζω, πειράζω from a scan

THESE words occur not seldom together, as at 2 Cor. xiii. 5; Ps. xciv. 10 (at Heb. iii. 9 the better reading is ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ) ; but notwithstanding that they are both in our English Version rendered ‘ prove’ (Luke xiv. 19; John vi. 6), both ‘try’ (1 Cor. iii. 18; Rev. ii. 2), both ‘examine’ (1 Cor. xi. 28 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 5), they are not perfectly synonymous. In δοκιpatew, which has four other renderings in our Version,— namely, ‘discern’ (Luke xii. 56); ‘like’ (Rom. i. 28); ‘approve’ (Rom. ii. 18); ‘allow’ (Rom. xiv. 22),—lies ever the notion of proving a thing whether it be worthy to be received or not, being, as it is, nearly connected with δέχεσθαι. In classical Greek it is the technical word for putting money to the δοκιμή or proof, by aid of the δοκίμιον or test (Plato, Timeus, 65 c; Plutarch, Def. Orac. 21) ; that which endures this proof being δόκιμος, that which fails ἀδόκιμος…

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Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

δοκιμάζω

(< δόκιμος),

[in LXX chiefly for בּחן ;]

primarily of metals (Pr 8:10 17:3, Si 2:5, Wi 3:6), to test, try, prove (in the hope and expectation that the test will prove successful, v. reff. s. Syn.): χρυσίον, I Pe 1:7; other things, Lk 12:56 14:19, II Co 8:8, Ga 6:4, I Th 2:4 5:21; τὰ διαφέροντα, Ro 2:18, Phl 1:10 (R, mg., but v. infr.); πνεύματα, I Jo 4:1; of men, I Ti 3:10 (pass.); ἑαυτόν, I Co 11:28,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

δοκιμάζω ; [fut. δοκιμάσω]; 1 aor. ἐδοκίμασα; Pass., [pres. δοκιμάζομαι); pf. δεδοκίμασμαι ; (δόκιμος); Sept. chiefly for }D3; as in Grk. writ. fr. [Hdt., Thue.], Xen. and Plat. on, to try; 1. to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing be genuine or not), as metals: χρυσίον διὰ πυρός (Isocr. p. 240 d. [i. 6. Panathen. § 14]; ad Demon. p. 7 b. [here Bekk. βασανίζομεν]; Sept., Prov. viii. 10; Sir. ii.5; Sap. iii. 6; ἄργυρον, Prov. xvii. 8, [ef. Zech. xiii. 9]), 1 Pet. i. 7; other things: Lk. xii. 56; xiv. 19; 2 Co. viii. 8; Gal. vi. 4; 1 Th. ii. 4; v. 21; τὰ διαφέροντα, Ro. ii. 18; Phil. i. 10, [al. refer these pass. to 2; see διαφέρω, 2 b.]; men, 1 Tim. iii. 10 (in the pass.) ; ἑαυτόν, 1 Co. xi. 28; 2 Co. xiii. 5, (cf. ἐξετάζειν ἑαυτόν, Xen. mem. 2, 5, 1 and 4); θεόν, Heb. iii. 9 (RG, fr. Ps. xeiv. (xey.) 9; on the sense of the phrase see πειράζω, 2 ἃ. 8.) ; τὰ πνεύματα…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

δοκιμάζω (dokimazō) — to test.

δοκῐμάζω,

(δόκιμος) assay, test, πορφύραν καὶ χρυσόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, prove for oneself, choose, χώραν [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— passive, ἐπειδὰν τὸ ἔργον.. δοκιμασθῇ [Refs]

2. of persons, δ. αὐτούς put them to the test, make trial of them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also of Apis-bulls, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. approve, sanction, μετὰ δεδοκιμασμένου [λόγου] μὴ ξυνέπεσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, ἐκπονεῖν ἐδοκίμαζε he approved of their working, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.2. as a political term,

II.2. a approve after scrutiny as fit for an office, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, to be approved as fit, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μου δοκιμαζομένου when I was undergoing a scrutiny, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; δεδοκιμασμένος [ἰατρός] [Refs 2nd c.AD+]…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

δοκιμάζω

dokimazo

from 1384; to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to

approve:--allow, discern, examine, X like, (ap-)prove, try.

see GREEK for 1384

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

δοκιμάζω

v.

I put to the test, prove, examine

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

δοκιμάζω dokimazō 22x

to test, assay metals, 1 Pet. 1:7; to prove, try, examine, scrutinize, Lk. 14:19; Rom. 12:2; to put to the proof, tempt, Heb. 3:9; to approve after trial, judge worthy, choose, Rom. 14:22; 1 Cor. 16:3; 2 Cor. 8:22; to decide upon after examination, judge of, distinguish, discern, Lk. 12:56; Rom. 2:18; Phil. 1:10

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

δοκιμάζω δόκιμος to assay or test metals, to see if they be pure, Isocr., etc.

of persons, to put to the test, make trial of, scrutinise, Hdt., Thuc.: —then, to approve, id. Thuc., Plat., etc.; c. inf., ἐκπονεῖν ἐδοκίμαζε he approved of their working, Xen.

at Athens, to approve as fit for an office, and in Pass. to be approved as fit, Plat., etc.; c. inf., ἱππεύειν δεδοκιμασμένος Xen.

to examine and admit boys to the class of ἔφηβοι or ἔφηβοι to the rights of manhood; and in Pass. to be so admitted, Ar., etc.; ἕως ἀνὴρ εἶναι δοκιμασθείην Dem.

c. inf. to think fit to do, or with negat. to refuse to do, NTest.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAP-NPM — Verb · present · active · participle · nominative · plural · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAP-NPM Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Participle Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
14%do test
do test14% · 3×approve9% · 2×prove9% · 2×they did see fit5% · 1×he approves5% · 1×will prove5% · 1×should examine5% · 1×you shall approve5% · 1×other renderings45% · 10×

22 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 18 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb100%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 22 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
εἰςθεόςGod, a god
δέbut, on the other ha
πᾶςall, the whole, οὗτοςπῦρfire, trials
οὐNeg
πῶςκαθώςjust as, as
ὅς
ἐνἐγώ
ἑαυτοῦ
πίστιςfaith, belief, tἔργονwork, labor, act
δοκιμάζωdiscerning22×
what comes after →
Article the
καιρόςfitting season, θεόςGod, a godδιαφέρωI carry through,
σύ
τίςIrgArticle the
αὐτός
ἐρωτάωI ask, question,
δέbut, on the other ha
ἄνθρωποςa man, one of th
διά
ἐπιστολήa letter, dispat

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceδοκιμάζω · 22× in the New Testament
Romans 1 Corinthians 1 Thessalonians 2 Corinthians Luke 1 John 1 Peter 1 Timothy Ephesians Galatians Philippians
Across the New Testament11 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 14 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 2.7c. AD 40

πῶς δὲ δοκιμάζει τοὺς χυλούς, εἰ μὴ διὰ βοηθοῦ τῆς γεύσεως;

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.15c. AD 75–95

ἤδη τοίνυν τοὺς ἐντευξομένους τοῖς βιβλίοις παρακαλῶ τὴν γνώμην θεῷ προσανέχειν καὶ δοκιμάζειν τὸν ἡμέτερον νομοθέτην, εἰ τήν τε φύσιν ἀξίως αὐτοῦ κατενόησε καὶ τῇ δυνάμει πρεπούσας ἀεὶ τὰς πράξεις ἀνατέθεικε πάσης καθαρὸν τὸν περὶ αὐτοῦ φυλάξας…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
3rd c. AD 3rd c. BC 2nd c. AD undated 4th c. AD

χαίρειν. λέγοντός σου περὶ τοῦ τραπεζίτου ὅτι ὀφείλει βεβληχέναι τὸν χαλκὸν, σαπροὺς στατῆρας ὀφείλομεν δοκιμάσαι. τὸν χαλκὸν ἐγὼ ἠμέλασα, θαυμάζων εἰ ἄνθρωπος πιστευόμενος τοῦτο ποιεῖ. εὗρον οὖν η σαπροὺς

Πτολεμαίδι ε … … … ριοσ … ς … … Ἀπολλώνιος Φιλίππου· ἡ βουλὴ δοκιμάζειν εἴωθεν τοὺς ὑπηρετοῦντας … ι γραμμα … … ας νεωκόρους τοῦ ἄλσους τοὺς ὁμοίους·

C.Lat.Text.Pap. 3 no. III.32Antiochia (Syria Coele)AD 245

τοῦ διασημοτάτου ἐπάρχου Μεσοποταμίας διέποντος τὴν ὑπατείαν· ὁ Ἀρίστων ὁ κράτιστος τὴν ἀξίωσίν σου δοκιμάσει. Legi σθ

discerning what is well-pleasing to the Lord.
τίtis what G5101 Interrogative pronoun · nominative · singular · neuter
562× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Ephesians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This interrogative pronoun is used to ask questions like who, which, or what, as seen in Matthew 3:7 and Mark 11:28. It seeks information about a person or thing. This term is essential in direct and indirect questions.
Amplified meaning
which thing, that which
Tyndale gloss
which?
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

τίς is an interrogative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'what,' used in both direct and indirect questions. It can function as a substantive, adjective, or adverb, appearing in various contexts throughout the New Testament, such as in Matthew 3:7 and John 18:23. The neuter form τί also means 'what' or 'which.' There are instances where τίς may be used interchangeably with other pronouns like ποῖος.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

τίς, neut., τί, gen., τίνος, interrog. pron., [in LXX for מָה ,מִי ;] in masc. and fem.,

who, which, what?; in neut., which, what?, used both in direct and in indirect questions.

As subst.,

masc., fem.: τίς; who, what?, Mt 3:7 26:68; Mk 11:28, Lk 9:9, al. mult.; c. gen. partit., Ac 7:52, He 1:5, al; seq. ἐκ (= gen. partit.), Mt 6:27, Lk 14:28, Jo 8:46; = ποῖος, Mk 4:41 6:2, Lk 19:3,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

τὶς, τὶ. ἘΣ what follows, εἰ καί lays less emphasis upon it; although it is evident that εἰ καί can often be substituted for καὶ ei.” Cf. Herm. Vig. p. 829 sq.; W. 444 (413); Ellic. on Phil. ii. 17; Schmalfeld, Griech. Syntax, § 41; Paley, Grk. Particles, p. 31]. 8. εἰ μή, a. in a conditional protasis, with the same sequence of moods and tenses as the simple εἰ, see 1. above, if not, unless, except, [W. 477 (444) sqq.; B. 345 (297)]: Mt. xxiv. 22; Jn. ix. 33; | xv. 22, 24; Ro. vii. 7, ete. b. it serves, with the entire. following sentence, to limit or correct what has just been said, only, save that, (Lat. nisi quod), [B. 359 (308) ]: Mk. vi. 5; 1 Co. vii. 17 (where Paul by the addition εἰ μὴ ἑκάστῳ κτλ. strives to prevent any one in applying what had been said a little while before, viz. οὐ δεδούλωται . . ἐν τοιούτοις to his own case, from going too far) ; in ironical answers, unless…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

τις (indef. pron.), ‘* someone, something’’: P Vat ΑἸ (B.c. 168) (= UPZi. p. 303) πᾶς τις πειρᾶται. . ., P Lond 421° (B.C. 168) (= Selections, p. 10) εἰς πᾶν τι ἐληλυθυῖα διὰ, τὴν τοῦ σίτου τιμήν, ‘having come to the last extremity because of the high price of corn,’’ P Oxy IV. 7421° (B.c. 2) ἐάν τι δύνῃ... δὸς ἐργασίαν, “if you can, give your attention to it’’ (Edd.), 2d. I. 120% (iv/a.D.) τινα ὁρῶντα αἱαυτὸν (/. ἑαυτὸν) ἐν δυστυχίᾳ, ““α man finding himself in adversity,’ 13 ἀποστῖλόν pot τινα ἢ Γοῦνθον ἢ ᾿Αμμώνιον, “send someone to me, either Gunthus or Ammonius” (Edd.). P Oxy VI. 937°" (ili/A.D.) γ]ράψον ἐκεῖ TO kat’ εἶδος ὅτι τι kal τι εἴληφας is translated by the editors ‘* write the list there, that you have received so and so.” They 3) ες remark that it is simpler to take τι καί τι as analogous to τὸ καὶ τό than ‘‘to take τί kal τί as an indirect interrogative, ὅτι being…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

τίς (tis) — which?.

τίς

__B Interrog. pronoun τίς, Elean and Laconian dialect τίρ (which see), τί:—genitive Epic dialect and Ionic dialect τέο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Trag. and Attic dialect τοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect, Trag., and Attic dialect τίνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative Ionic dialect τέῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; no dative in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Trag. and Attic dialect τῷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect τίῳ [Refs 7th c.BC+]; τίνι first in [NT+8th c.BC+]; genitive Epic dialect τέων [Refs 8th c.BC+], and as monosyllable [Refs]; Trag. and Attic dialect τίνων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative τίσι first in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect τέοισι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect τίοισι [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect τά [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Megarian dialect σά [Refs 5th c.BC+]: of the plural [Refs 8th c.BC+] with genitive τέω; ποῖος (what? which?) is sometimes preferred (especially in neuter…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

τίς

tis

probably emphatic of 5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or

what (in direct or indirect questions):--every man, how (much), +

no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, -

with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.

see GREEK for 5100

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

τίς, τί

Irg.pr.

who, which, what

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

Τίτιος Titios 1x

Titius, pr. name, Acts 18:7*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

τίς in direct questions, who? which? neut. what? which? Lat. quis, quae, quid?, Hom., etc.: relating to other words in the same case, τίς δ᾽ οὗτος ἔρχεαι; who art thou that comest? Il.; τίν᾽ ὄψιν σὴν προσδέρκομαι; what face is this I see of thine? Eur.:— τίς ἄν or κεν, with the opt., expresses doubt, who could, who would do so? Hom.: —in double questions, τί λαβόντα τί δεῖ ποιεῖν; what has one received and what must one do? Dem.; so, τίς πόθεν εἶς ἀνδρῶν; who and whence art thou? Od.

τίς with Particles: τίς γάρ; Lat. quisnam? why who? who possibly? Il., etc.; τίς δή; who then? Theogn.; τίς δῆτα; Soph.; τίς ποτε; who in the world? who ever? Xen.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Interrog-NSN — Interrogative pronoun · nominative · singular · neuter
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

I-NSN Part of Speech: Interrogative pronoun Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
48%what
what48% · 273×who21% · 117×why18% · 101×which5% · 29×whom5% · 29×other renderings3% · 19×

568 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 17 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
object30%adverbial25%predicate24%subject21%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 561 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakπρόςἐπερωτάωI interrogate, q
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςἸησοῦςJesusκαίand, even, also,
καίand, even, also, nam
εἰμίI am, existοὗτοςθεόςGod, a god
διά
αὐτόςλέγωI say, speakεἶπονI say, speak
Disj
ἐσθίωI eatπῶςποιέωI do, make
τίςwhat562×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theοὗτοςκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
Article the
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spσημεῖονa sign, miracle,μαθητήςa learner, disci
ἐγώ
καίand, even, also,λέγωI say, speakδιώκωI pursue, persec
ποιέωI do, make
Article theἵναin order that, sὅτιthat, since, bec
οὖνtherefore, then
εἶπονI say, speakποιέωI do, makeεἰμίI am, exist

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceτίς · 562× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew John Mark Acts Romans 1 Corinthians Revelation 2 Corinthians Hebrews Ephesians Galatians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament20 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 601 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 4c. AD 40

καὶ γὰρ λόγον καὶ ἀκοὴν ὑπερβάλλει μείζω καὶ σεμνότερα ὄντα ἢ ὡς θνητοῦ τινος ὀργάνοις ἐναρμοσθῆναι.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

ὅτι λιμοῦ τὴν Χαναναίαν καταλαβόντος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀπῆρε καὶ διατρίψας ἐν αὐτῇ τινα χρόνον ὑπέστρεψεν ὀπίσω.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 2.5c. AD 100

πλήρης εἰμὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, καὶ στέαρ ἀρνῶν καὶ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων οὐ βούλομαι, οὐδ̓ ἂν ἔρχησθε ὀφθῆναί μοι, τίς γὰρ ἐξεζήτησεν ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν;

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. BC 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD 6th c. AD

ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντοθεν· μὴ ἐξέστω δὲ τῷ καθόλου ἐπὶ τὴν διαθήκην ταύτην ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἐπέρχεσθαι, εἰ δὲ μὴ ἄκυρον ἔστω καὶ προσαποτεισάτω ὁ ἐπιφέρων ὕστερον … ἄλλον τῆς

P.Cair. Cat. 10364 descr.Pathyris126 BC–102 BC

προγεγραμμένου ἵππου, καὶ μὴ ἐπελεύσεσθαί σοι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. ἐὰν δὲ ἐπέλθωμεν ἢ ἄλλος τις ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἥ τʼ ἔφοδος ἄκυρος ἔσται καὶ προσαποτείσομέν σοι χαλκοῦ τάλαντα πέντε.

BGU 6 1260Pathyris102 BC

σημαινομένης ἀρούρης μιᾶς , καὶ μὴ ἐπελεύσασθαι Νεχθανοῦπιν καὶ τοὺς τούτου υἱοὺς μηδʼ ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν παρʼ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸν Πετεαρσεμθεία μηδʼ ἐπʼ ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν παρʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ

discerning what is well-pleasing to the Lord.
ἐστινeimi is G1510 Verb · present · active · indicative · third person · singular
2,457× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Ephesians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To be or exist, a basic verb used to describe something or someone, like God saying 'I am' in John 8:58.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

εἰμί is a Greek verb meaning 'to be' or 'to exist.' It serves various functions, such as a substantive verb for persons and things, and as a copula linking subjects and predicates. The New Testament frequently uses it in passages like John 1:1 and Matthew 24:3. Notably, it can also express possibility, as seen in Hebrews 9:5.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

εἰμί,

with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be.

As substantive verb.

Of persons and things, to be, exist: Ac 17:28, Jo 1:1 8:58 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Re 1:4, 8 4:8 11:17 16:5 (v. Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Ro 4:17, I Co 1:28.

Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mt 24:3, Mk 14:2 15:42, Lk 21:23, Jo 4:6, 23 5:10, al.

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

εἰμί (fr. ἔω, whence ἐμέ in inscriptions [7]; Aeol. ἐμμὲ (Curtius (yet ἔμμε, so G. Meyer) 8 564; Veitch p. 2287), impv. ἴσθι, ἔστω, less usual ἤτω, 1 Co. xvi. 22; Jas. v.12; Clem. Rom. 1 Cor. 48,5; [1 Mace. x. 31; Ps. ciii. (civ.) 31]; Plat. rep. 2 p. 361 ¢. [here it has given place to ἔστω (or ἴτω), see Stallb. ad loc.; Veitch p. 200 sq.; 3 pers. plur. ἔστωσαν, Lk. xii. 35; 1 Tim. iii. 12], inf. εἶναι ; impf. —ace. to the more ancient and elegant form, ἦν, 2 pers. ἦσθα (Mt. xxvi. 69; Mk. xiv. 67), rarer form ἧς (Mt. RKV. 1235 dn ΧΙ: 9]. 92); xxI LS. Reyna 15 G@ ΕΣ Tr WH), 3 pers. ἦν, 1 pers. plur. jer, — ace. to the mid. form, com. in later Grk. [ef. Veitch p. 226], ἤμην (Mt. xxv. 35sq.; [on Acts xi. 11 ef. WH. Intr. § 404]; Gal.i.10, etc.), plur. ἤμεθα (Mt. xxiii. 30 G L T Tr WH; Acts xxvii. 37 L T Tr WH; [Gal. iv. 3 TWH Tr mrg.; Eph. ii. 3 T Tr WH; Bar. i. 19]); cf. Lob. ad Phryn.…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

εἰμί. Middle forms in the flexion of εἰμί other than the present tense (cf. however MGr εἶμαι, -σαι, etc.) begin to appear very early in the dialects and are well established in the papyri. Thus the Ist sing. impf. ἤμην, which always takes the place of the class. ἢ in the NT (but see Ac 2018 D) may be illustrated from PSI IV. 36274 (B.c. 251-0) ἤμην δὲ πρὸς τῶι λαμβάνειν τὸν χαλκόν, P Magd 65 (B.c. 221) ἤμην γυμνός, P Par 57 (B.c. 129) ὧν ἤμην δι᾽ αὐτῶν [π]αραμε[μετ]ρηκ[υῖα, P Oxy IIT. 526% (ii/A.p.) οὐκ ἤμην ἀπαθὴς ἀλόγως σε καταλείπιν. For ist plur. ἤμεθα see P Petr IT. 4 (7)° (B.C. 255-4) τεθλιμμένοι ἤμεθα : cf. Ac 2737, Eph 23, as contrasted with the act. ἦμεν in Ac 111 (NB), 1612, Rom 7° a/.: the two forms are found together in Gal 4% (SDFG). The non-classical ἧς (Lob. Phryx. p. 149) is found sefzes in the NT as compared with ἦσθα (from an old perf. form ἤησθα), which is confined…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

εἰμί (eimi) — to be.

εἰμί

(sum), Aeolic dialect ἔμμι [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Cretan dialect ἠμί [Refs]; 2nd pers. singular εἶ, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect εἰς [Refs 8th c.BC+], Epic dialect and Doric dialect ἐσσί [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἐστί, Doric dialect ἐντί [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. dual ἐστόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 1st pers. plural ἐσμέν, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect εἰμέν (also in [Refs 5th c.BC+], Doric dialect εἰμές [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural εἰσί (-ίν), Epic dialect and Ionic dialect ἔασι (-ιν) [Refs 8th c.BC+], Doric dialect ἐντί [Refs 5th c.BC+], Epic dialect and Lyric poetry also in middle form ἔσσο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἔστω (ἤτω [LXX+5th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἔστωσαν, but ἔστων [Refs 8th c.BC+], and early Attic dialect Inscrr., [Refs 2nd c.BC+]subjunctive ὦ, ᾖς, ᾖ, Epic dialect ἔω [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἔῃ [Refs…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

εἰμί

eimi

the first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a

primary and defective verb; I exist (used only when emphatic):--am,

have been, X it is I, was. See also 1488, 1498, 1511, 1527, 2258,

2071, 2070, 2075, 2076, 2771, 2468, 5600.

see GREEK for 1488

see GREEK for 1498

see GREEK for 1511

see GREEK for 1527

see GREEK for 2258

see GREEK for 2071

see GREEK for 2070

see GREEK for 2075

see GREEK for 2076

see GREEK for 2771

see GREEK for 2468

see GREEK for 5600

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

εἰμί

v.

I am, exist

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

εἰμί eimi 2x

to be, to exist, Jn. 1:1; 17:5; Mt. 6:30; Lk. 4:25, freq.; ἐστί[ν], it is possible, proper, Heb. 9:5; a simple linking verb (“copula”) to the subject and predicate, and therefore in itself affecting the force of the sentence only by its tense, mood, etc., Jn. 1:1; 15:1, freq.; it also forms a frequent circumlocution with the participles of the present and perfect of other verbs, Mt. 19:22; Mk. 2:6

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

εἰμί The whole of the pres. ind. (except 2nd sg. εἶ) may be enclitic when εἰμί is the Copula; but the 3rd sg. is written ἔστι in certain cases of emphasis, e. g. ἔστι μοι, I have: when used as Verb Subst., it retains the accent in all persons. as Substantive Verb, to be, to exist, οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ οὗτος ἀνήρ, οὐδ᾽ ἔσσεται Od.; τεθνηῶτος, μηδ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἐόντος id. Od.; οὐκέτ᾽ ἔστι he is no more, Eur.; θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες Il.; ἐσσόμενοι posterity, id. Il.; ζώντων καὶ ὄντων Ἀθηναίων Dem.:—so of cities, etc., ὄλωλεν, οὐδ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἔστι Τροία (cf. Troja fuit), Eur.

of things, to be, exist, εἰ ἔστιν ἀληθέως [ἡ τράπεζα] Hdt.; ἕως ἂν ὁ πόλεμος ἦι so long as it last, Thuc.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAI-3S — Verb · present · active · indicative · third person · singular
present active indicative — an action in progress.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAI-3S Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Indicative Person: third Number: Singular

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
26%is
is26% · 619×are9% · 228×was7% · 176×being6% · 138×it is5% · 112×will be4% · 87×am3% · 80×were3% · 67×other renderings37% · 901×

2,408 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 139 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
linking verb87%verb13%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 2,457 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
οὐNeg
ὅτιthat, since, becκαίand, even, also,ὅς
οὗτος
ὅτιthat, since, becλέγωI say, speakκαίand, even, also,
ὅς
ἐνἄνθρωποςa man, one of thθεόςGod, a god
ἐγώ
ὅτιthat, since, becλέγωI say, speakμετά
σύ
ἐνλέγωI say, speakαὐτός
εἰμίis2457×
what comes after →
Article the
υἱόςa son, descendenΧριστόςanointed, the Meβασιλείαkingship, sovere
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theοὐNegγάρfor
ἐν
Article theσύαὐτός
δέbut, on the other ha
Article theτὶςἐκεῖthere, yonder, t
ἐγώ
εἰςἄξιοςworthy, worthy oὧδεhere

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceεἰμί · 2,457× in the New Testament
John Luke Matthew Acts Mark 1 Corinthians Romans Revelation 1 John 2 Corinthians Hebrews Galatians

67 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 1c. AD 40

Τῶν ἄλλων νομοθετῶν οἱ μὲν ἀκαλλώπιστα καὶ γυμνὰ τὰ νομισθέντα παρ’ αὐτοῖς εἶναι δίκαια διετάξαντο, οἱ δὲ πολὺν ὄγκον τοῖς νοήμασι προσπεριβαλόντες ἐξετύφωσαν τὰ πλήθη μυθικοῖς πλάσμασι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπικρύψαντες.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.2c. AD 75–95

τινὲς μὲν γὰρ ἐπιδεικνύμενοι λόγων δεινότητα καὶ τὴν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς θηρευόμενοι δόξαν ἐπὶ τοῦτο τῆς παιδείας τὸ μέρος ὁρμῶσιν, ἄλλοι δὲ χάριν ἐκείνοις φέροντες, περὶ ὧν τὴν ἀναγραφὴν εἶναι συμβέβηκε, τὸν εἰς αὐτὴν πόνον καὶ παρὰ δύναμιν ὑπέστησαν·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.2c. AD 100

Μεγάλων μὲν ὄντων καὶ πλουσίων τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιωμάτων εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὑπέρ τι καὶ καθ̓ ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερευφραίνομαι ἐπὶ τοῖς μακαρίοις καὶ ἐνδόξοις ὑμῶν πνεύμασιν: οὕτως ἔμφυτον τῆς δωρεᾶς πνευματικῆς χάριν εἰλήφατε.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 3rd c. BC 4th c. AD 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν Φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιε, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν καὶ κανηφόρου τῶν ὄντων καὶ οὐσῶν, μηνὸς Ἐπεὶφ κε. ἐν Παθύρει, ἐφʼ Ἑρμίου τοῦ παρὰ Πανίσκου ἀγορανόμου. ἀπέδοτο

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει Παθύρεως χαλκοῦ Γ. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος Νεχούτου.

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιϛ, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν καὶ κανηφόρου τῶν ὄντων καὶ οὐσῶν, μηνὸς Τῦβι ιη ἐν Παθύρει ἐφʼ Ἑρμίου τοῦ παρὰ Πανίσκου ἀγορανόμου. ἀπέδοτο

discerning what is well-pleasing to the Lord.
εὐάρεστονeuarestos well-pleasing G2101 Adjective · nominative · singular · neuter
9× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Ephesians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Well-pleasing means being fully agreeable to someone, like being acceptable to God in Romans 12:2. It's about living a life that God approves of.
Amplified meaning
is well-pleasing, acceptable
Tyndale gloss
well-pleasing
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word εὐάρεστος (i.e., *euarestos*) means 'well-pleasing' or 'acceptable.' It is derived from roots meaning 'well' and 'to please.' This term appears in various New Testament contexts, often relating to actions or offerings that are pleasing to God, such as in Romans 12:1-2. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meaning or usage.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

**† εὐ-άρεστος, -ον

[in LXX: Wi 4:10 9:10 * ;]

well-pleasing, acceptable: Ro 12:2; c. dat. pers., Ro 12:1 14:18, II Co 5:9, Eph 5:10, Phl 4:18; id. seq. ἐν, Tit 2:9 (κυρίῳ), Col 3:20; ἐνώπιον, He 13:21 (for ex. in Inser., v. Deiss., BS, 215).†

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

εὐ-άρεστος, -ov, (fr. εὖ and dpeords), well-pleasing, acceptable: Ro. xii. 2; τινί, to one, Ro. xii. 1; xiv. 18; 2 Co. v. 9; Eph. v. 10; Phil. iv. 18; ἔν τινι, in anything, Tit. ii. 9; ἐν κυρίῳ (see ἐν I. 6 b., p. 211

Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

εὐάρεστος. To Deissmann’s citation (B.S, p. 215) of this word from an inscr. of Nisyros (pre-Christian ?) γενόμενον εὐάρεστον πᾶσι (Mittheilungen des athen. Instituts 15, Ὁ. 134") to dispose of Cremer’s claim that it belongs only to Bibl. and eccles. Greek, we may add Priene 114° (after B.c. 84) γενηθεὶς δὲ εὐάρεσίτος] ἐν τοῖς τῆς γυμνασιαρχίας ἀναλώμασιν : cf. Rouffiac Recherches, p. 32f. See also such passages as P Fay go! (A.D. 234) Td λ[α]χανόσπίερμον) λαμβάνιν evapἐστον, P Flor I. 3039 (a.D. 362) Tas Tod πύρου εὐαρέϊστου ἀρταβά]ς, P Strass I. 1° (A.D. 510) ἐν οἴνῳ καλλίστῳ καὶ εὐαρέστῳ, and P Gen I. 15? (Byz.) τὴν τιμὴν σίτου evapέστου ἀρταβῶν τεσσάρων, where the adj. has the meaning “choice,” ‘‘in good condition.” See also s5.v.…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

εὐάρεστος (euarestos) — well-pleasing.

εὐᾰρεστ-ος, ον,

(ἀρέσκω) wellpleasing, acceptable, τὸ ἀγαθὸν εὐ. Cleanth. 3.6; τινι [LXX+1st c.AD+]; τισι [Refs]; παρά τινι [LXX+1st c.BC+]; χρῆσις pleasant, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; σύμμαχοι probably in [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; τὸ εὐ. [Refs 1st c.AD+]. adverb -τως, ἔργον συνετέλεσεν [Refs 2nd c.BC+]: comparative -οτέρως, διακεῖσθαί τινι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; - τως ἱερησάμενος [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; λατρεύειν τῷ θεῷ [NT]

II. choice, οἶνος, πυρός, [Refs 4th c.AD+]

III. according to taste, λαχανόσπερμον λαμβάνειν εὐ. [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

εὐάρεστος

euarestos

from 2095 and 701; fully agreeable:--acceptable(-ted), wellpleasing.

see GREEK for 2095

see GREEK for 701

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

εὐάρεστος, ον

Adj

acceptable, well-pleasing

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

εὐάρεστος euarestos 9x

well-pleasing, acceptable, grateful, Rom. 12:1, 2

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

εὐάρεστος εὐ-άρεστος, ον ἀρέσκω well-pleasing, acceptable, NTest.:—adv., εὐαρεστοτέρως διακεῖσθαί τινι to be more popular with one, Xen.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj-NSN — Adjective · nominative · singular · neuter
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

A-NSN Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
78%well-pleasing
well-pleasing78% · 7×pleasing11% · 1×well pleasing11% · 1×

9 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 3 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
predicate56%object22%second object11%subject11%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 9 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
θεόςGod, a god
Article the
καίand, even, also, nam
ἀγαθόςgood
Χριστόςanointed, the Messia
Article the
ἐκδημέωI go abroad, am abse
εἴτεand if, whether
εἰμίI am, exist
τίςIrg
εὐάρεστοςwell-pleasing
what comes after →
Article the
θεόςGod, a godλογικόςreasonable, ratiκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
εἰμίI am, exist
ἐνμήNeg
καίand, even, also, nam
τέλειοςperfect, full-gr
αὐτός
εἰμίI am, exist
ἐνώπιονbefore the face of,
αὐτός

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceεὐάρεστος · 9× in the New Testament
Romans 2 Corinthians Colossians Ephesians Hebrews Philippians Titus
Across the New Testament7 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Clement of Rome Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Preliminary Studies 156c. AD 40

λαβοῦσα οὖν, ὦ καὶ ὑπάρχουσα καὶ πρὸς ἐμοῦ νομιζομένη κυρία, τὴν ἐμὴν ἅπασαν παιδείαν ὡς θεραπαινίδι χρῶ, „ὡς εὐάρεστόν σοι.“

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 19.145c. AD 75–95

Ἦν δὲ Εὐάρεστος Ἀρούντιος τῶν κηρυσσόντων τὰ πωλούμενα καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ φωνῆς τε μεγέθει χρώμενος καὶ χρήματα περιβεβλημένος ὅμοια τοῖς Ῥωμαίων πλουσιωτάτοις, δύναμίς τε αὐτῷ ἦν ἐφʼ οἷς ἐθελήσειε πράσσειν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἔν τε τῷ τότε κἀν τοῖς ὕστερον.

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 49.5c. AD 96

ἀγάπη κολλᾷ ἡμᾶς τῷ θεῷ, ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, ἀγάπη πάντα ἀνέχεται, πάντα μακροθυμεῖ: οὐδὲν βάναυσον ἐν ἀγάπῃ, οὐδὲν ὑπερήφανον: ἀγάπη σχίσμα οὐκ ἔχει, ἀγάπη οὐ στασιάζει, ἀγάπη πάντα ποιεῖ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ: ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐτελειώθησαν πάντες οἱ…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 4th c. AD 3rd c. AD 5th c. AD 7th c. AD
P.Mil.Vogl. 3 145Tebtynis (Arsinoites)AD 142

καὶ κλεισὶ καὶ τὰς ὄρνιθας ἀξίας δραχμῶν διακοσίων σ, χῆνας τοκάδας ω τοὺς χῆνας εὐαρέστους σν ἐὰν φαίνηται μισθῶσαι. Γέμεινος ὡς ἐτῶν λζ, οὐλὴ ἀντικνημίῳ ἀριστερῷ ἔτους ιε Αὐτοκράτορος

P.Fay. 90Ptolemais Euergetis (Arsinoites)AD 234

ἐποικίῳ Πισαεὶ μέτρῳ ἑνδεκαμέτρῳ ἀνυπερθέτως, ἐγλογῆς οὔσης τῷ Αὐρηλίῳ Ἀγαθείνῳ ἤτοι τὸ λαχανόσπερμον λαμβάνειν εὐάρεστον ἢ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ καιροῦ ἐσομένην πλείστην τιμήν, γεινομένης αὐτῷ τῆς πράξεως ἔκ τε

P.Flor. 2 252Theadelphia (Arsinoites)AD 257

Σύρος Ἡρωνίνῳ καὶ Διονυσίωι χαίρειν. ἐὰν μὲν ἦν ὁ μόσχος ὃν ἐκέλευσα δοθῆναι Παλᾷ εὐάρεστος αὐτῷ γενάμενος καὶ ἦν παρʼ αὐτῷ σὺ ὁ Διονύσιος γενοῦ ἐξαυτῆς εἰς Φιλωτερίδα καὶ

discerning what is well-pleasing to the Lord.
τῷho to the G3588 Article · dative · singular · masculine
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Ephesians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for 'the' or 'this', used to point out a specific person or thing, like in Acts 17:28. It can also mean 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
Tyndale gloss
the/this/who
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The definite article — the commonest word in the Greek New Testament at 19,867 occurrences. Greek uses it more freely than English does and can drop it deliberately, so its presence and its absence both carry weight for a translator; but no single occurrence carries a message of its own. Here it simply gathers “the things” into one definite bundle.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὁ, ἡ, τό,

the prepositive article (ἄρθρον προτακτικόν), originally a demonstr. pron. (so usually in Hom.), in general corresponding to the Eng. definite article.

As demonstr. pron.

As freq. in Hom., absol., he (she, it), his (etc.): Ac 17:28 (quoted from the poet Aratus).

Distributive, ὁ μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, the one . . . the other: I Co 7:7, Ga 4:22; pl., Ac 14:4, 17:32, Phl 1:16, al.; οἱ μὲν . . . ἄλλοι δέ, Mt 16:14, Jo 7:12; οἱ μεν̀ . . . ὁ δέ, He 7:21, 23.

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὁ 435 ὁ tives of quantity, ὅλος, πᾶς, πολύς, see each in its own place. d. What has been said concerning adjectives holds true also of all other limitations added to substantives, as ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις, Ro. ix. 11; ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, Ro. xi. 27; 6 λόγος 6 τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1 Co. i. 18; ἡ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστις, Col. ii. 5; on the other hand, ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, 1 Th. i. 8; τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους, 2 Co. viii. 4; see many other exx. of each usage in W. 131 (124) sqq.; [B. 91 (80) sqq.]. e. The noun has the article before it when a demonstrative pronoun (υὗτος, ἐκεῖνος) belonging to it either precedes or follows [W. § 18, 4; B. § 127, 29-31]; as, ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, Jn. ix. 24 [οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρ. 1, Tr mrg. WH); Acts vi. 13; xxii. 26; ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, Mt. xv. 8; 6 vids σου οὗτος, Lk. xv. 30; plur. Lk. xxiv. 17, and numberless other exx.; οὗτος 6 ἄνθρωπος, Lk. xiv. 30; οὗτος ὁ…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ὃ, ἡ τό. (1) Apart from connexion with μέν or δέ (see below) the demonstrative use of the art. in the NT is confined to a poetical quotation Ac 1778, but it is not uncommon in the papyri, e.g. P Par 45® (B.C. 153) (= Witkowski®, p. 85) τὰ (for ἃ) πράσεις (Δ πράσσεις), P Oxy VIII. 1160! (iii/iv A.D.) Ta (for ἃ) σεσύλληχα (for συνείληχα) δὲ κέρμα {ταν τηρῶ αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν δίκην, “1 am keeping for the trial the money that I have collected” (Ed.). For the distributive Opéev.. - 6 8€, as in 1 Cor7’, cf. P Lond 535 (B.c. 161) (=I. p. 19, U.P.Z. i. p. 239) kal τὰ μὲν ἡμῶν ἐληφότων εἰς τὴν γινομένην ἡμῖν συντάξειν, τὰ δ᾽ ἔτι διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων {(.. ... > παρελκομένων. (2) The use of the art. as a relative, of which there is no trace in the NT, may again be illustrated by the following papyrus citations from ¢c. A.D. 346—P Lond 414® (= II. Ῥ. 292) γεινῴσκιν oe θέλω περὶ τοῦ βρεουίου…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὁ (ho) — the/this/who.

ὁ,

ἡ, τό, is, when thus written,

__A demonstrative Pronoun.

__B in Attic dialect, definite or prepositive Article.

__C in Epic dialect, the so-called postpositive Article, = relative Pronoun, ὅς, ἥ, ὅ.—The nominative masculine and feminine singular and plural, ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ, have no accent in codices and most printed books, except when used as the relative; but ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ differ only in writing from ὃ, ἣ, οἳ, α; the nominative forms of the article are said by Hdn.Gr.1.474 to be oxytone, and by [Refs 2nd c.AD+] in Aeolic dialect accusative to [Refs 8th c.BC+] genitive and dative dual τοῖιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]— In Doric dialect and all other dialects except Attic dialect and Ionic dialect the feminine forms preserve the old ᾱ instead of changing it to η, hence Doric dialect etc. ἁ, τάν, τᾶ; the genitive plural τάων contracts in many dialects to τᾶ; the genitive…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὁ ἡ τό

ho

he hay, and the neuter

to to

in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be

supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one,

he, she, it, etc.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὁ, ἡ, τό

Article

the

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὁ ho 19x

the prepositive article, answering, to a considerable extent, to the English definite article; but, for the principle and facts of its usage, consult a grammar; ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, the one ... the other, Phil. 1:16, 17; Heb. 7:5, 6, 20, 21, 23, 24; pl. some ... others, Mt. 13:23; 22:5, 6; ὁ δέ, but he, Mt. 4:4; 12:48; οἱ δέ, but others, Mt. 28:17; used, in a poetic quotation, for a personal pronoun, Acts 17:28

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὁ the, that

ὁ, ἡ, τό, is

demonstr. Pronoun.

the definite Article.

in epic, the relative Pronoun, when it is written with the accent ὅ, ἥ, τό ῀ ὅς, ἥ, ὅ. Besides the common forms, note epic gen. sg. τοῖο for τοῦ; pl. nom. τοί, ταί; gen. fem. τάων [α^], dat. τοῖσι, τῇς and τῇσι; dual gen, and dat. τοῖιν:— in Trag. we find τοὶ μέν . . , τοὶ δέ . . , for οἱ μέν . . , οἱ δέ . . ; dat. pl. also τοῖσι, ταῖσι: the dual has commonly but one gender, τώ for τά, τοῖν for ταῖν.

DEMONSTR. PRONOUN:

joined with a Subst., not as the Art., but like Lat. ille, ὁ Τυδείδης Tydeus's famous son, Il.; Νέστωρ ὁ γέρων Nestor— that aged man, id. Il.; τιμῆς τῆς Πριάμου for honour, namely that of Priam, id. Il.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art-DSM — Article · dative · singular · masculine
dative — to, for, with — the one it is done to or by.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

T-DSM Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Dative Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
64%the
the64% · 13160×<the>28% · 5846×those3% · 597×other renderings4% · 788×other renderings1% · 294×

20,685 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 83 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject34%adverbial32%object24%predicate5%indirect object4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 19,783 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςεἰμίI am, existἐγώ
ἐν
καίand, even, also,αὐτόςArticle the
εἰς
αὐτόςεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inἔρχομαιI come, go
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakδέbut, on the otheπρός
εἰμίI am, exist
οὗτοςσύἐγώ
to the19783×
what comes after →
θεόςGod, a god
Article theκαίand, even, also,ἐγώ
δέbut, on the other ha
λέγωI say, speakἸησοῦςJesusἀποκρίνομαιI answer, reply
ἸησοῦςJesus
λέγωI say, speakκαίand, even, also,Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, master,
ἐγώἸησοῦςJesusArticle the
πατήρfather, Father, ance
ἐγώσύαὐτός

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordance · 19,783× in the New Testament
Matthew Acts Luke John Revelation Mark Romans 1 Corinthians Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

40 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 1c. AD 40

Τῶν ἄλλων νομοθετῶν οἱ μὲν ἀκαλλώπιστα καὶ γυμνὰ τὰ νομισθέντα παρ’ αὐτοῖς εἶναι δίκαια διετάξαντο, οἱ δὲ πολὺν ὄγκον τοῖς νοήμασι προσπεριβαλόντες ἐξετύφωσαν τὰ πλήθη μυθικοῖς πλάσμασι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπικρύψαντες.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.1c. AD 100

Χαίρετε, υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς, ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

r βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν Φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιε, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει Παθύρεως χαλκοῦ Γ. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος Νεχούτου.

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

βασιλευόντων Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιϛ, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

discerning what is well-pleasing to the Lord.
κυρίῳ.kurios Lord. G2962 Noun · dative · singular · masculine
718× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Ephesians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for lord or master, used to address God or a person in authority, showing respect and power. In the New Testament, it appears in Matthew 9:38 and Mark 12:9. It signifies a controller or ruler.
Amplified meaning
God, Master
Tyndale gloss
lord: God
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

κύριος is a Greek word meaning 'lord' or 'master,' derived from the concept of authority. It is used in various contexts, referring to God, Jesus, and earthly masters. In the New Testament, it often denotes divine authority, as seen in verses like Matthew 12:8. The term can also express respect when addressing others, such as teachers or magistrates.

Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament — κύριος, δεσπότης from a scan

A MAN, according to the later Greek grammarians, was δεσπότης in respect of his slaves (Plato, Legg. vi. 756 e), therefore οἰκοδεσπότης, but κύριος in regard of his wife and children ; who in speaking either to him or of him, would give him this title of honour; “as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (κύριον αὐτὸν καλοῦσα, I Pet. ili. 6: ef. Plutarch, De Virt. Mul. 5. vv. Μίκκα καὶ Meyoro). There is a certain truth in this distinction. Undoubtedly there lies in κύριος the sense of an authority owning limitations—moral limitations it may be; it is implied too that the wielder of this authority will not exclude, in wielding it, a consideration of their good over whom it is exercised; while the δεσπότης exercises a more unrestricted power and absolute domination, confessing no such limitations or restraints. He who addresses another as δέσποτα, puts an emphasis of submission into his…

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Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον),

[in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for אָדוֹן, בַּעַל, etc.;]

having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master;

in general: c. gen. rei, Mt 9:38 20:8, Mk 12:9 13:35, Lk 19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mt 12:8, Mk 2:28, Lk 6:5; c. gen. pers., δούλου, etc., Mt 10:24, Lk 14:21, Ac 16:16, al.; absol., opp. to οἱ δοῦλοι,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

κύριος, -ov, 6, (prop. an 2dj. κύριος, -a, - 1, also of two term.; prop. i. q. ὁ ἔχων κῦρος, having power or author ity), [fr. Pind. down], he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has the power of deciding; master, lord; used a. univ. of the possessor and disposer of a thing, the owner, (Sept. for }}18, 5y3): with gen. of the thing, as τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, Mt. xx. 8; xxi. 40; Mk. xii. 9; Lk. xx. 15; rod θερισμοῦ, Mt. ix. 38; Lk. x. 2; τῆς οἰκίας, the master, Mk. xiii. 35 (Judg. xix. 12); τοῦ πώλου, Lk. xix. 33; τοῦ σαββάτου, possessed of the power to determine what is suitable to the sabbath, and of releasing himself and others from its obligations, Mt. xii. 8; Mk. ii. 28; Lk. vi. 5. with gen. of a pers., one who has control of the person, the master [A. V. lord]; in the household: δούλου, παιδίσκης, οἰκονόμου, Mt. x. 24; Lk. xii. 46 sq.; xiv. 21; xvi. 3, 5; Acts xvi. 16, 19…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

κύριος BGU III. ο49᾽ (c. A.D. 300) κυρίῳ μου ἀδελφῷ “Hpa, a sister (and probably wife) —P Oxy IV. 7441 (B.c. 1) (= Selections, p. 32) Ἱλαρίωνα (/.—tov)”"Adure τῆι ἀδελφῆι πλεῖστα Χαίρειν, and even a son—zd. I. 123} (iii/iv A.D.) κυρίῳ pov vid Διονυσοθέωνι. (3) It is, however, with the religious use of κύριος that we are specially concerned, and in keeping with the conception of ‘‘lordship,’’ which was so characteristic of Oriental religions, we may begin by noticing its common use in connexion with the cult of the Egyptian God Sarapis. Letters frequently begin with some such formula as—rpd μὲν πάντων εὔχομαί σε ὑιαίνειν (1. by—) καὶ τὸ προσκύνημά cov ποιῶ παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ Σιαράπιδι, ‘before all else I pray for your health, and I supplicate the lord Sarapis on your behalf”’ (P Fay 127°—ii/iii a.p.), and we may add, owing to the striking resemblance of phraseology to 1 Cor 1024 such…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

κύριος (kurios) — lord: God.

κύριος [ῡ], α, ον,

also ος, ον [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—Thess. κῦρρος [Refs 8th c.BC+]:

I. of persons, having power or authority over, with genitive, Ζεὺς ὁ πάντων κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὶν ἄν σε κ. στήσω τέκνων put thee in possession of.., [Refs 5th c.BC+], of the god to whom a temple is dedicated, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τῶν αὑτοὺ κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; θανάτου κ. τινός with power of life and death over, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.2. κύριός εἰμι with infinitive, I have authority to do, am entitled to do, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; οὗτος κ. ὁρκωμοτεῖν (probably to be read instead of -ῶν) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; -ώτεροι δοῦναι better able to give, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also κ. τοῦ μὴ μεθυσθῆναι having power not to.., [Refs]: with accusative et infinitive, κ. εἶναι ἢ τοίαν εἶναι [πόλιν] ἢ τοίαν [Refs 5th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

κύριος

kurios

from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun)

controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God,

Lord, master, Sir.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

κύριος, ου, ὁ

n.m.

lord, Lord, master, sir

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

κύριος kyrios 717x

a lord, master, Mt. 12:8; an owner, possessor, Mt. 20:8; a potentate, sovereign, Acts 25:26; a power, deity, 1 Cor. 8:5; the Lord, Jehovah, Mt. 1:22; the Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 24:42; Mk. 16:19; Lk. 10:1; Jn. 4:1; 1 Cor. 4:5; freq.; κύριε, a term of respect of various force, Sir, Lord, Read the full entry →

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-DSM — Noun · dative · singular · masculine
dative — to, for, with — the one it is done to or by.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-DSM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Dative Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lord

There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.

(1.) Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form “Jehovah” is retained only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.

(2.) Heb. ‘adon, means one possessed of absolute control. It denotes a master, as of slaves (Gen. 24:14, 27), or a ruler of his subjects (45:8), or a husband, as lord of his wife (18:12).

The old plural form of this Hebrew word is ’adonai. From a superstitious reverence for the name “Jehovah,” the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[GOD]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name belongs to God by preeminence; and in this sense ought never to be given to any creature. Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, the Son of God, and equal with the Father, is often called Lord in Scripture, especially in the writing of Paul. The word LORD, in the English Bible, when printed in small capitals, stands always for JEHOVAH in the Hebrew. See JEHOVAH.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ A prince Jos 13:3; Jud 3:3; 1Sa 5:8; 6:4

→ See GOD

→ See JESUS

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
86%lord
lord86% · 647×master6% · 47×other renderings3% · 22×other renderings5% · 37×

753 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 15 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject31%adverbial30%object17%predicate4%indirect object3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 718 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
αὐτόςὄνομαname, character,χάριςgrace, favor, ki
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςκαίand, even, also,ἐγώ
ἐν
εἰμίI am, existσύδέbut, on the othe
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakκαλέωI call, invite, πρός
καίand, even, also, nam
ἐγώπατήρfather, Father, ὅτιthat, since, bec
κύριοςLord.718×
what comes after →
ἐγώ
ἸησοῦςJesusκαίand, even, also,κάθημαιI sit, am seated
Article the
θεόςGod, a godἀμπελώνa vineyardδέbut, on the othe
ἸησοῦςJesus
Χριστόςanointed, the Meκαίand, even, also,μετά
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theοὐNegσωτήρa savior, delive
αὐτός
χρείαneed, necessity,εἰCondλέγωI say, speak

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceκύριος · 718× in the New Testament
Acts Luke Matthew 1 Corinthians John Romans 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 Thessalonians Revelation 2 Thessalonians Mark

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament23 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
The Shepherd of Hermas Philo of Alexandria The Epistle of Barnabas Clement of Rome Josephus
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 1.48c. AD 40

„οὐ φυτεύσεις σεαυτῷ ἄλσος, πᾶν ξύλον παρὰ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ“ (Deuter.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.265c. AD 75–95

Τῶν δὲ Ἰσάκου παίδων Ἡσαῦς, περὶ ὃν μάλιστα ὁ πατὴρ ἐσπουδάκει, τεσσαράκοντα γεγονὼς ἔτη γαμεῖ Ἄδαν τὴν Ἥλωνος καὶ Ἀλιβάμην τὴν Εὐσεβεῶνος δυναστευόντων ἐν Χαναναίοις ἀνδρῶν θυγατέρας, ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας τῆς περὶ τὸν γάμον ἐξουσίας κύριον καὶ μηδὲ τῷ…

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.1c. AD 100

Χαίρετε, υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς, ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 4th c. AD 6th c. AD
P.Grenf. 1 33Thebais104 BC

ὡς ἐτῶν κζ μέση μελίχρως λεύκωμα ὀφθαλμόν, μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύρριν αἱ τρεῖς τῶν Ψεμμίνιος μετὰ κυρίου τοῦ ἑαυτῶν ἀδελφοῦ Παχνούβιος τοῦ προγεγραμμένου καὶ συνπωλουμένου, ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπαρχούσης αὐτοῖς πατρικῆς γῆς

P.Cair. Cat. 10353 descr.Krokodilopolis (Arsinoites108 BC–99 BC

Πανίσκου ἀγορανόμου τῆς ἄνω τοπαρχίας τοῦ Παθυρίτου. ὁμολογεῖ Πετεσοῦχος Πετεαρσεμθέως Τορτομίννει Σχώτου Περσίνη μετὰ κυρίου τοῦ ἑαυτῆς υἱοῦ Πανοβχούνιος τοῦ Ἁρπαήσιος ἐκ τῶν φρουρῶν περὶ τοῦ ἐὰν βεβαιώσῃ αὐτῶι

P.Adl. 20Poinkoris (Diopolites)99 BC

τῆς Βελλέους ὡς ἐτῶν κβ μέσης μελιχρόου στρογγυλοπροσώπου εὐθύρινος οὐλὴ μετώπῳ ἐκ δεξιῶν μετὰ κυρίου Πτολεμαίου τοῦ Ψενμεγχείους ὡς ἐτῶν λε μέσου … πάντες τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Παθυρίτου τὴν

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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